Jack married Lisa and adopted her two boys from her first marriage. He moved her to a big, beautiful city where he had a great job, a stable income, a large, bright apartment, and everything else needed for a happy family life. Lisa didn’t need to work, but she still did, to avoid getting bored. Lisa had everything, including a husband who loved to cook. She didn’t even mind that he subtly kept everything under control. Lisa was a smart woman and didn’t give it much thought, despite her free-spirited nature. Jack was a real find, and it would have been unreasonable not to be happy with him the way she was. And she was happy. Jack thought he loved Lisa.
Jack asked Lisa to live with him when she had nowhere else to go. He courted her beautifully for an entire month before she moved in with him. He couldn’t live without Lisa and told her so. He also couldn’t live without video games, which took up most of his free time. He loved that he could play bedroom games with Lisa, like “gender swapping.” Or “mistress.” He loved when she loved him, and then he would rest his head on her stomach like a pillow and fall asleep while she lay very still, not turning to let him sleep. He didn’t want to tell his parents that they were living together because… well, for no particular reason. He just didn’t want to—end of story. And when she wanted to leave after he threw a scene, yelling at her and scattering things around the apartment, he would kneel and beg her to stay. And he even managed to be the best boyfriend for a full two days after she forgave him. Jack thought he loved Lisa.
Jack felt something incredible for Lisa. She overwhelmed him like the ocean. He lived for her. He longed for her with all his soul. He dreamed about her and wanted the best for her. And he wanted to be with her. He was always there, he had won her over, he gave her gifts, and didn’t demand sex. He rejoiced when she responded to his desire for closeness even just once a month. He suffered because she, as he thought, didn’t love him. He suffered because, in front of his eyes, she expressed more sympathy for another. Even when they were already living together. Much more sympathy than she expressed for him. Jack left Lisa because he couldn’t take it anymore. Jack thought he loved Lisa.
Jack left his wife for Lisa. His first wife never understood him, never allowed him to open up, to be himself. Lisa had been his first wife’s friend. And suddenly, something happened between him and Lisa… something he hadn’t felt in a long time. Jack realized that for love, one could do anything. That it was the kind of feeling worth living for. His love with Lisa was as powerful as the wind. It could sweep everything in its path. And it did—swept away Jack’s family. Jack left his first wife for Lisa. They were happy. At first. Until she left. Jack thought he loved Lisa.